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Re: Resources on Nectar Flow Timing?

Originally Posted by Gray Goose

+1 exactly. as well move 5 miles one way or another and other blooms come into play Real data will be more valuable that the books and papers one reads.
GG

The 5 miles thing is so true. We have a friend in town that always wants a hive in the yard to pollinate fruit trees. It's in town and I dont want to be dealing with one that needs intensive management at that location, so every spring our weakest hive out of winter goes there in a single box. By May it will usually need some swarm management, which we accomplish by taking queen and a couple frames of brood away, just leave them to make a new queen. They get a second box of new frames at some point, and by the end of the summer they always have a top box stuffed with honey. Most years it needs a super over and above the deep box of new frames they draw and fill.

As the crow flies, that colony is only 6km from our yard here at the house, but, it's a totally different world for the bees. No summer dearth and they just thrive. But here at the house, if we didn't move them out to the fireweed patch, they would need to be fed thru August or they starve.

Re: Resources on Nectar Flow Timing?

Originally Posted by grozzie2

The 5 miles thing is so true. We have a friend in town that always wants a hive in the yard to pollinate fruit trees. It's in town and I dont want to be dealing with one that needs intensive management at that location, so every spring our weakest hive out of winter goes there in a single box. By May it will usually need some swarm management, which we accomplish by taking queen and a couple frames of brood away, just leave them to make a new queen. They get a second box of new frames at some point, and by the end of the summer they always have a top box stuffed with honey. Most years it needs a super over and above the deep box of new frames they draw and fill.

As the crow flies, that colony is only 6km from our yard here at the house, but, it's a totally different world for the bees. No summer dearth and they just thrive. But here at the house, if we didn't move them out to the fireweed patch, they would need to be fed thru August or they starve.

hmmm sounds like maybe move 2 towns have yards that get watered, at times bushes and hedges that are not native etc. edge of town can be a good place. Also near a river/creek bottom. as it drys for summer blooms occur along the wetter areas, As well maple, basswood, linden, locus trees can help with flows. Tes,t shift, test, shift, until the place makes the bees happy.
Then the keeper is happy too.
GG

Re: Resources on Nectar Flow Timing?

You might want to get to the San Diego Beekeeping Society meetings at Balboa Park, and ask those folks about blooms and books.

It might seem a long trip, but there are some awesome beekeepers in San Luis Obispo County, and The Central Coast Beekeeping Alliance has the Golden Oak Honey Festival usually the 3rd Saturday in October. Lots of other highly organized clubs in California with great lectures and very knowledgeable people.

Read the download that JWChesnut gave you first, then here's a few more books that might be helpful. Jeremy Rose's book, Beekeeping in Coastal California, also Flowering Plants of the Santa Monica Mountains will have some plants in common with SD County, I've seen several others, but have not yet found them all.

You have a lot of universities near you in San Diego - Check their botany departments and make friends with some of the research PhD's and post-grad students. They'll likely help you find lots of studies that are not in the books.